THE permanent closure of Carrat Shed on September 1 will mark the end of an era in Marabella.
To the people of Marabella, Carrat Shed was never just a bar. It was an institution: one which helped to nurture the community, provide entertainment and most of all bring about social equity.
The foundations Carrat Shed initiated and funded in the spheres of sports, education and culture are now in jeopardy, causing additional sadness to the beneficiaries.
Nearby residents are calling for someone else to take over these activities.
Owner Allan Campbell, 76, told the Newsday in an interview on August 16 he regrets this decision, but after the closure of former state-owned Petrotrin in 2018, coupled with the start of the pandemic shortly after, and having suffered a two-year closure, the 34-year-old business is no longer viable.
As president of the Lotto Agents Association, Campbell said he would continue to run that aspect of the business.
[caption id="attachment_1104800" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Sad customers. Akini Celestine, left, Karen Celestine and Carlon Williams, reminisce about the good times at Carrat Shed over the past 34 years. -[/caption]
One of his loyal customers and treasurer of the Marabella Festival Committee, Lisa Hollingsworth, was close to tears as she contemplated the future of the Children’s Carnival, which Campbell mainly funded.
“He has run children’s Carnival for the last 30-plus years, and I believe this year would have been our last.
"I am totally disappointed and sad. This is not how this was supposed to end. This is a real heart-breaking situation.
"This is my home. I am a single woman, and it is the only place I come to if I want to have a drink. If at some point I cannot get home, someone here will take care of me, call someone to take me home.”
Always a philanthropist, from an early age, Campbell was a strong advocate for social justice, something for which he spent 242 days with 16 others, behind bars (not like Carrat Shed) as a political prisoner during the 1971 state of emergency.
A trade unionist, he also ensured that the people of Marabella and environs – where he was born and still lives – were the beneficiaries of plans laid down by Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams to establish an industrial base in Pointe-a-Pierre and give residents preference for the available jobs.
His advocacy has served him in good stead over the years, as a man well respected and loved.
In an interview, Campbell recalled his decision to open Carrat Shed in February 1990, just months before the attempted coup on July 27, 1990.
His vision was, of course, to make a profit, but also to give something back to the community.
In that first year, he initiated a Christmas treat for children in the community, which grew to benefit approximately 600 recipients in 2023.
[caption id="attachment_1104798" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Lisa Hollingsworth, treasurer of the Marabella Festival Committee which Allan Campbell, left, started was close to tears as she contemplated the closur
